Penelope Sky – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Penelope Sky – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com Sun, 16 Aug 2026 18:16:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 http://www.books2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Penelope Sky – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com 32 32 By Blade I Love (By Blade #3) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/by-blade-i-love-by-blade-3-read-online-penelope-sky Sun, 16 Aug 2026 18:16:56 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/by-blade-i-love-by-blade-3-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Crime, Dark, Mafia Authors: Penelope Sky Series: By Blade Series by Penelope Sky
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Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 88326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)

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I’ve lost everything—except Wolfe.

We flee my family home that’s been in my blood for generations and seek refuge at Wolfe’s villa in Palermo. With a heart so irreparably broken, even this beautiful seaside escape can’t repair the damage.

Warren’s men search for us in Palermo, and instead of snitching on our location, Don Russo and Cosa Nostra protect our whereabouts. I won’t stop until I get revenge, and I won’t stop until my family legacy is returned to its rightful owner—me.

But we can’t do that alone. We need allies—and Cosa Nostra is all we have. Wolfe forms an agreement. In exchange for their help in taking back the winery, he’ll help them defeat Icarus, the Skull King’s ruthless lieutenant.

But the path to success isn’t a straight line. With unexpected twists and turns and mountain slides, either Wolfe or I is in danger, and sometimes both of us. The entirety of Sicily is pulled into the fight for independence against Icarus and the Skull King.

And I’m not sure if we’ll make it out alive

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

WOLFE

She cried on and off during the drive. Sometimes she would be silent with her arms crossed over her chest, and then at other moments, her head would rest against the window and she would cry as quietly as possible, like she didn’t want me to hear. The blood had dried on her skin and clothing, and she smelled like vomit because either she’d hurled or someone else had.

I didn’t notice the smell as much as I normally would have, not when my adrenaline was still through the roof. Two different instincts gnawed at me. The first was to drive to the vineyard and annihilate everyone who was there. And the other was to care for Francesca.

Francesca was obviously the priority.

My hand remained on her thigh, but I didn’t caress her gently like I normally would. I didn’t comfort her with words. My vision was tinted red, and I was just fucking mad. Mad that someone had touched her. Mad that her brother was so fucking stupid. Mad that Don Mancini was dead, a man I didn’t necessarily like but always respected.

He didn’t deserve to die like that.

My woman didn’t deserve to lose her father right in front of her eyes.

It was normally an hour-and-a-half drive, but I got there in fifty minutes, breaking the speed limit and navigating between cars and traffic to get there as fast as possible, to put as much distance between us and Warren’s crew so we wouldn’t be followed. After he ransacked my house in Caltanissetta and found I wasn’t there, he would check Palermo next, but finding me in a big city like this would be a challenge.

I pulled onto my property and parked the Range Rover in the small parking garage underground. It could only fit two cars. The place had cost me almost thirty million because of its proximity to the sea, but it felt cramped compared to the other homes I had.

After I parked the car, she continued to lean against the window like she couldn’t move.

She was fucking devastated. Her eyes were open and emotionless, like her tear ducts had run dry.

It was one of those situations where there was literally nothing I could say to make it better. I could relate to her because I’d watched my own father die, but that would only make her feel worse, not better. I could get angry and vent and seethe, but that wasn’t helpful. I could only offer one thing—revenge. “I’ll make them pay for this, Francesca. All of them. Every single last one—especially Leo.”

She continued to stare out the window at the concrete wall of the garage.

“I can’t believe he’s gone.” Her eyes started to water again, but she blinked back the tears. “All this time, he thought it was you…because Leo wanted him to believe that. Kept whispering in his ear, I’m sure. Undermined my personal relationship with you for his own gain. It’s unforgivable.”

Absolutely fucking unforgivable.

“I just… I don’t know how to process this.”

I knew exactly what she’d seen because I’d seen something similar myself. “It’ll take your entire life to process it.”

The tears welled up in her eyes until they formed drops and streaked down her cheeks. “When Warren shot up my house, Leo cried. He held me and literally cried. How…how can he do that and then, just a few weeks later, stab me in the back?”

It took me a second to figure that out. “That probably wasn’t in the plan.”

“If he’d just told me I better step aside or there would be hell to pay, I would have just…” Her voice cracked. “I would have just given him the damn thing.” She started to cry again, her little body trembling from the weight of guilt that she shouldn’t carry.

I didn’t want to continue this conversation in the car where I couldn’t hold her, where only my hand could reach her. “Let’s get inside and get you cleaned up.”

As if she’d forgotten how she looked, she dropped her chin, looking at all the blood and vomit that had soaked into her hair and clothing. She touched her shirt with her fingertips then stared at the blood on her hands. “I—I threw up. They shot him in the head, and I threw up.”

“A common reaction.”

“Have you ever done that?” She continued to stare out the window.

I gave a nod that she couldn’t see. “Yeah, when my mom was shot right in front of me.”

Her eyes started to water again. “I hate that we have this in common.”

I gave her thigh a gentle squeeze. “Come on, baby.”

We left the Range Rover and headed inside. The house was full of light because the sun didn’t set until eight in the evening in the summer. Francesca moved slowly, at a snail’s pace, and it took her a while to get to the top floor. Instead of dropping all her clothes and getting into the shower, she headed into the kitchen to pour a glass of water. She drank the entire thing in one go before she left the empty glass on the counter.

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Advertisement By Blade I Vow (By Blade #2) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/by-blade-i-vow-by-blade-2-read-online-penelope-sky Sun, 16 Aug 2026 18:16:54 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/by-blade-i-vow-by-blade-2-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Crime, Dark, Mafia Authors: Penelope Sky Series: By Blade Series by Penelope Sky
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Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >83

Wolfe gives me an ultimatum—I tell my father or he will.

We only have one chance at this, so I know it has to be done the right way. Once my father knows that Wolfe has been sneaking around with me behind his back this long, he’s going to want to put Wolfe in the ground. The way we handle it is literally a matter of life and death.

But with all the funerals my father has to attend as well as rebuilding our property after Lombardi’s hit, we need to wait a little longer. This makes Wolfe go apeshit, especially after a family friend makes a pass at me right in front of him. I can only placate him so long, and once he’s officially initiated into the family, Wolfe knows we’re out of time.
But then a new enemy, Warren, puts a target on our backs. He provokes my father at a wedding, and when he makes the mistake of commenting about me, Wolfe loses his mind and starts another war.

Wolfe is so obvious about his feelings toward me, that it’s a miracle my father hasn’t noticed. The trust that Wolfe has earned among the syndicate is so strong that no one suspects his treason.

But when the war comes to a head, secrets are revealed and everything is destroyed. The business, my family, everything…up in smokes

The only person I have left is Wolfe.

My ride or my die. The person I trust most. The love of my life.

He would do anything for me—and I him

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

FRANCESCA

They rushed me in the office, spraying me with bullets from their automatic rifles. I screamed for the only man who could help me. “Wolfe!” I felt my body jerk as the bullets pelted my bulletproof vest.

“Baby, baby, baby, I’m right here.”

I screamed again and then felt my eyes snap open, seeing the dark ceiling over my bed.

“Nightmare.”

I jerked upright and saw Wolfe beside me, propped on one elbow while his palm rested against my stomach underneath the big t-shirt I wore. He was hard to see in the dark, my eyes unable to adjust as quickly as my adrenaline needed them to. I heaved with breaths, blinking quickly to dismiss the images of the nightmare.

“It’s not real,” he said gently as he started to rub me with his fingers. “I’m right here.”

I finally gave a nod then lay back down, but my breaths were still haywire.

He remained over me, gliding his fingers down my hip and then my thigh, caressing me with his callused fingertips. His dark eyes stared at me with a softness I never saw him wear in front of anyone else. “You can tell me.”

“I—I was in the office, and they were coming for me.” I wasn’t sure how long this memory would haunt me. A couple weeks…a couple months…or maybe all my life.

He gave a slight nod. “Well, they wouldn’t have lasted much longer because you would have blasted them all to hell.”

My breathing still didn’t return to normal. It continued to feel labored.

“Never underestimate yourself, Francesca,” he said quietly. “Just when I thought you couldn’t turn me on more…” He pulled the sheets back then lifted up my shirt to expose my panties. He rose up over me as he gripped the fabric and started to tug them down my ass and hips, his face directly above mine as he stared at my lips, watching me pant with my mouth closed.

Then he moved over me completely, made himself at home between my legs, and sank inside me like he had so many times. But now his entrance felt like relief more than pleasure, a comfort as real as a bulletproof vest.

Having his heavy body on top of mine, his dark eyes locked on mine with possessiveness, being completely swallowed by his magnetic presence, made me feel safer than anything else in the world.

He snaked his hand into my hair as he bent one of my knees back, rocking into me rather than thrusting, savoring the union between our bodies and the kiss between our souls. In the dead of night, the rest of the island asleep except for the two of us, he made me whole again. Made the nightmares run to the shadows where they belonged, terrified of his snarl.

He looked at me without needing to blink, always so present with me, I felt like he was within me, his soul inside my chest right next to mine. “Such a tough fucking bitch.” He fisted my hair harder and started to rock into me faster. “My tough fucking bitch.”

The vineyard was a mess. Fire had destroyed part of the main house, and the other buildings were damaged. Bullet holes were visible everywhere. The front doors to the warehouse needed repairs. The main gate was completely destroyed and would need to be replaced—this time with something stronger.

We’d lost a lot of good men, and nothing would ever bring them back.

My father was beside himself, quiet and unapproachable, spending most of his time alone, like he didn’t know where to go from here. I walked into his office and saw him sitting behind his desk, so lost in thought that he didn’t notice me standing there.

I knocked on the open door to get his attention.

His eyes flicked to me, but the rest of his body remained still.

I crossed the room and approached his desk. “Doing okay?”

“Yeah.” His elbow was propped on the armrest with his fingers curled under his jawline.

I stared at him.

He stared back.

“You don’t look okay.”

He dropped his hand from his jawline. “What do you expect, Frankie? My daughter was almost captured, I lost men I’ve known for a decade, the house that’s been in my family for generations has to be rebuilt and restored…” His fist returned underneath his jawline. “I know we have to move forward with business as usual, but I’m just not in that place right now.”

I continued to stand in front of his desk as I searched for comforting words to impart, but I didn’t have any.

“We have a funeral every single day this week. Everyone knows what’s happened here, so we’re in a position of weakness. And we still have to keep up with the business. A lot of shit has happened throughout the years, but never something like this.”

“True.” War had never come to our doorstep.

“Wolfe annihilated everyone who was a part of that job, and all those who were in business with the Lombardis have divested themselves of the association, so even though we took a major hit, Wolfe reclaimed our status among the other gangs.” He gave a slight shake of his head before he dragged his hand over the bottom part of his mouth. “Everything will be alright—but I’m not alright right now.”

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Advertisement By Blade I Protect (By Blade #1) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/by-blade-i-protect-by-blade-1-read-online-penelope-sky Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:11:53 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/by-blade-i-protect-by-blade-1-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Crime, Dark, Mafia Authors: Penelope Sky Series: By Blade Series by Penelope Sky
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Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 82847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >86

My father runs the only arms operation in Sicily, and now that the Skull King is monopolizing the drug empire in all of Italy, we’re in hot water.

Because everyone wants to take our business for themselves—because they aren’t strong enough to handle the Skull King.

Just when things are looking bad, Wolfe shows up looking for a job. He was born to inherit the throne of Cosa Nostra, but a mysterious falling out has forced him to turn his back on the only family he’s ever known.

None of us are sure if we can trust him, so he has going to start at the bottom and prove his loyalty. With a cocky smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eyes, he does what he’s told.

But the second he sets eyes on me—I become the real thing he wants. But I’m not dumb enough to get involved with one of the guys at the syndicate, no matter how insanely hot he is, so I tell him it’s never going to happen.

But this man doesn’t stop.

I’m a nurse that stitches bullet holes and keeps my father’s men alive on top of everything else I do for the business, and Wolfe continually cuts and stabs himself because he knows it’s the one way to get alone me alone. While I stitch him up, he stares and smirks at me…like I’m already his.

Even when my father is present, he stares at me the same way—like he doesn’t care if this obsession gets him killed. He’s honest and passionate and smart—but I also think he’s a little crazy.

I finally give in, saying it’s just for the night, but this man wants all of me before he ever touches me. An affair somehow turns into the most intense relationship I’ve ever had, and Wolfe wants to be straight with my father about us even if it gets him killed.

But that’s way too risky, not when our enemies are moving in, not when there’s a snitch in our midst—and everyone thinks it’s Wolfe. Our relationship becomes clandestine and forbidden, and while that would be fun for other men, Wolfe disagrees.

Because he wants me—forever.

When so much is set against us, I’m not sure if our relationship will survive.

But Wolfe believes it will—because he’ll die for it

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

WOLFE

I drove through the quiet streets of Palermo sometime between two and three in the morning, dried blood still on my hands because I hadn’t had time to scrub it off. I turned down a side street and then another, pulling up to the large wall with a black gate.

A small slab of steel slid open to reveal a pair of dark eyes. They looked at me for a millisecond before it quickly shut again.

“You know it’s me, asshole.”

The large gate opened inward, and I drove into the open courtyard where other cars and motorbikes were parked. I left the car there and hopped out.

Matteo, the guy who checked the peephole, walked up to me with a cigar in his mouth. His eyes were on my hands, which were still covered in blood. He wordlessly reached into his back pocket and grabbed a cloth, tossing it at me. “It went alright?”

I caught it then grabbed a bottle of whiskey from one of the nearby crates and poured it over my hands before I started to scrub my skin. “It always goes alright.”

“You sure about that?”

I swiped the cloth underneath my fingernails to catch the drops that had spread. “It’s not my blood, is it?” When my hands were clean, I tossed the cloth back at his chest, and he caught it.

“Don Russo is waiting for you inside.”

I headed to the double doors, flanked by several guards, and then entered the three-story villa hidden in plain sight in this coastal city of Sicily. I exchanged head tilts with some of the men as I headed to Don Russo’s office on the second floor. I had to cross the seven-thousand-square-foot villa, make my way up a marble staircase, and then I ended up in his office.

The other guys were already there, Uncle Marco and Costa, and a few of the others.

Don Russo was in the middle of a heated conversation with Uncle Marco, but he dropped the discussion the second I stepped inside. “You handled Raphael?”

“Yep.” My knuckles were bruised, and the barrel of my gun was empty.

Don Russo took my word for it and moved on. “It’s come to my attention that Celso is making a lot of money. Hand-over-fist kind of money. The Polizia look the other way without a bribe, so that’s even more money in their pockets.” He leaned against the desk, his arms crossed over his chest. “I think it’s time we get in on the action. You know…” He cocked his head to one side and then to the other. “Get in on the action.” He wore gray slacks and a button-up, collared white shirt, dressed for business meetings with suits rather than the streets. He was about to leave his fifties and step into his sixties, but he was still sharp as a tack.

“What kind of action are we talking about, Don?” I was the only one brave enough to ask, or they all already knew the plan.

“Prostitution,” he said, his dark Italian eyes on me.

“Prostitution?” I asked blankly. “We’re American pimps now?”

“We would hand the specifics to a different crew so we can keep our focus on our existing accounts,” Don Russo said with patience. “It won’t interfere with our normal affairs.”

I thought it was beneath us, but I knew I shouldn’t resist him too much in front of the others. Could give him an earful when it was just the two of us with a couple glasses of wine—or preferably whiskey.

When I had nothing else to say, Don Russo turned his attention to Uncle Marco. “We get the girls from Armando from the mainland. We can get them to the docks and bypass customs, as with everything else.”

My eyebrows immediately furrowed in confusion. “Get the girls from Armando?”

Uncle Marco took over. “We purchased them from the Skull King. Wasn’t cheap, but they’re broken in, so there won’t be much resistance.”

Now my eyes flicked from Don Russo to Uncle Marco and then back again. I wasn’t sure how much time passed, maybe a few seconds, but the shock made it feel like minutes. I wasn’t shocked or disturbed by much, but this was despicable. “You’re serious right now?” My eyes were on Don Russo, the man responsible for every decision made by Cosa Nostra. “We’re traffickers now? That’s not who we are.”

Uncle Marco shook his head slightly so I would quiet down.

I ignored him. “That’s not who we are.” I focused on Don Russo. “I’m not saying we’re saints by any means, but we stick to our side of the street and let everyone else pass without interference. We may be criminals, but we’re decent ones. When did that change?”

“Wolfe—”

My eyes flicked back to Uncle Marco. “Does it look like I’m speaking to you?” I snapped.

Uncle Marco stared me down like he wanted to slice a knife down my cheek.

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Advertisement The Breaker (Roman Republic #3) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/the-breaker-roman-republic-3-read-online-penelope-sky Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:51:06 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/the-breaker-roman-republic-3-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Crime, Dark, Mafia Authors: Penelope Sky Series: Roman Republic Series by Penelope Sky
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Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 95013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)

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In New York Times bestselling author Penelope Sky’s explosive conclusion to the Roman Republic series, an exiled emperor must make his final save his city from a dangerous takeover—or protect his beloved from a lifetime of danger.

I fell in love with the most dangerous man in Rome, knowing exactly who he was. And he fell for me too, knowing one day he’d have to me or his empire.

He chose me.

As brutal as it was, I thought his exile would be good for us. I thought we’d find peace together in a small village outside of Rome, in the comfort of running his family’s restaurant and the promise of our future. In the life growing inside me.

But there’s no peace for a man like Constantine.

No matter where we go, his past will always follow. I see the war waging inside him—the need to protect us battling the urge to reclaim what was lost. To avenge what was taken.

Now, as deadly enemies threaten the empire and his friend clings to life, the decision is mine. Do I ask him to keep his promise and stay with me? Or do I set free the emperor Rome desperately needs?

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Constantine

“Thanks for this, Santino.” I admired the contraption he’d made with Medusa’s measurements, a walker that would allow her three legs to move freely but her fourth to be supported with a wheel. We’d gone to school together, and he’d become a contractor and could pretty much build anything.

“So you’re in town for a while?” He crossed his arms over his chest before he leaned against the counter of his front office. His receptionist was in the back on her break.

“More than a while,” I said. “More like permanently.”

“Yeah?” he said with a raised eyebrow. “Your mother must be ecstatic.”

“Haven’t told her yet, but yeah, she will be.” Her scream would probably split my eardrums.

He pushed off the counter with his hips. “Let me know if it needs adjustments. Happy to swing by.”

“Thanks, man.”

I put the seats down in the back of my Range Rover, placed the walker inside, and then headed back toward Taormina, up the mountain over the village, where my villa was nestled on the cliff face. It was still an extraordinary property with nine thousand square feet divided among the three floors, but the palace had felt like a city in comparison. Sometimes it bothered me to know Darius was shitting in my toilet and fucking his whores in my bed . . . but I had what really mattered.

When I returned home, I carried the walker through the entryway and the main common room with twenty-foot-tall floor-to-ceiling windows that showed the sea in the distance. The main floor had two different living rooms, an office, and a formal dining room, and then upstairs was where the bedrooms were located.

Aurelia sat on the rug on the floor with her back to one of the couches, next to the dog bed, and she gave Medusa soft, loving strokes across her cheek to help her relax. A cup of coffee sat on the table, and it still wafted with steam like she’d just made it. She looked at the walker when I put it down in front of them. “Wow, that’s it?”

Medusa opened one of her eyes and stared at me, but she didn’t get up to greet me like she normally would. She was still in pain, even with the meds, so she wasn’t quite herself.

It killed me to see her like that, but I knew I just had to be patient and I’d see her running around again. “Yeah, now she’ll be able to get around on her own. I know she misses being a dog.”

She looked down at Medusa and stroked her cheek. “Yeah.”

Most women liked dogs, but they liked the little ones you could carry in one arm or stuff in your purse. Medusa was a full-grown seventy-pound German shepherd. More like a wolf than a dog. But I knew Aurelia loved Medusa as much as I did. I could see it in the way she cared for her as if she’d had her since she was a puppy. It was so real it couldn’t be faked. “Baby girl, let’s give this a try.” I patted my thigh so Medusa would get up.

She lay there and released a breath through her nostrils.

“Maybe later,” Aurelia said. “She’s having a hard time today.”

When I’d brought Medusa home, I’d just wanted a dog around the house. I never expected to love her like this, to feel like she was a piece of my heart outside of my body. I’d take another bullet to fix her broken leg if I could.

I moved to the other side of Medusa, my arm resting over the cushions of the couch so I could touch the back of Aurelia’s neck, and together, we sat with our dog.

Aurelia continued to pet her fur as she looked at me, wearing nothing but one of my T-shirts, without makeup, doing nothing else except caring for Medusa since she woke up. With the light coming through the windows before us, her eyes were lit up in a glorious way, and she was fucking stunning. “How’s your arm?”

“What do you mean?”

Her hand paused momentarily in Medusa’s fur. “You were shot, remember?”

“Oh, that,” I said with a smirk. “Yeah, I already forgot about it.”

Her eyes did that thing where they shifted back and forth frantically as if I’d just said something crazy. “Isn’t getting shot painful?”

“Not at all. Now getting a shot . . . that’s the worst.”

“Are you serious right now?”

“Any time I’ve been shot, it’s been in the middle of chaos. Adrenaline is high and I’m focused on killing someone, so it’s impossible to feel anything. You just feel your body jerk back from the speed of the bullet, but that’s it. But when you need a shot at the doctor’s office, you just have to sit there and wait for them to stick a big-ass needle in your skin. It’s the worst.”

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Advertisement The Ruler (Roman Republic #1) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/the-ruler-roman-republic-1-read-online-penelope-sky Wed, 13 May 2026 18:58:16 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/the-ruler-roman-republic-1-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Dark, Mafia, Suspense Authors: Penelope Sky Series: Roman Republic Series by Penelope Sky
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Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >86

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Sky, an unforgettable golden retriever mafia romance set in modern-day Italy, bursting with violence, dripping with blood, and crackling with desire.

We spent weeks planning this trip to Sicily together. And I was damn sure going to enjoy it, even if my lying, cheating boyfriend just abandoned me.

I push aside self-pity to venture out and take photographs. Later, I lock eyes with a stranger at a bar. This tattooed god, Constantine, is way out of my league, but to my surprise, he’s all in—every inch. And up in his hotel suite, he claims me for his own. Over and over again.

Constantine’s touch helps take away the pain, and he possesses me like I’ve never known. I fall hard. But beneath his kindness to me, to his family, to his dog, I sense danger. How could I know that to the city of Rome, he’s a brutal enforcer?

When I trust the wrong man, I discover just how dangerous Constantine can be. He may call me sweetheart, but the Roman Republic calls him Emperor—and trembles at his feet

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Aurelia

After an hour flight from Rome to Catania, and then another hour drive from the airport, we arrived in Taormina, a quintessential Italian village with cobblestone pathways that led through little alleyways to reveal seafood restaurants that had been in the same families for generations, sandwich shops with freshly made focaccia bread, and little spots with Neapolitan pizza.

Paradise.

We’d planned this trip five months ago, and it was hard to believe it was finally here. With a packed schedule of visits to the wineries, the active volcano Etna, a trip to the Greek theatre, lots of cannoli and granita, it would be a trip to remember.

And we needed it now more than ever.

For the past couple months, Enzo had been noticeably withdrawn. It started off small, like not giving me the same focus he had in the past, missing whatever I was saying because his mind was somewhere else. It progressively got worse, and he didn’t even bother to pretend to listen. Then there were other things . . .

He used to slip in behind me and join me in the shower. We never had sex in there, not when there wasn’t room and the tiles were slippery and I’d fallen once before, but it always served as awesome foreplay before we made it to the bed and dampened the sheets. But he stopped doing that, and when I joined him instead, I could see his glimpse of disappointment. He tucked it away quickly, but not fast enough for me to miss it.

Conversations over dinner had grown stale and forced. He spent more time at work or out with his friends. He used to invite me to join him and his boys, but those invitations stopped.

Whenever I asked him about it, he said he was stressed at work, that he had a falling-out with one of his friends over a stupid argument, that his vertigo had come back with a vengeance . . . always something.

I’m not stupid, so I jumped to the conclusion every woman jumps to.

That there was someone else.

I wasn’t proud of my actions, hated myself a bit for doing it, but I went through his phone and checked his messages. He’d never used a passcode, and I took that as a sign of committed transparency.

I never found anything.

I went to his work parties and knew all of his colleagues. He worked in finance, so most of them were men, and Enzo didn’t strike me as the type of man to play for the other team. His boss was a woman, but she was about seven years older than him, with a husband and two kids.

So that was a dead end.

That led to one last possibility . . . and it was by far the worst.

That he’d just stopped loving me.

That I’d watched it happen, watched the love and desire slowly fade from his heart, watched the light fade from his eyes. They used to burn bright when they looked at me, with love and attention, and now there was just nothing there.

And the fact that he didn’t acknowledge it when I asked, always had an excuse to explain his behavior, told me he didn’t want to fix it. Didn’t want to fight for this. Wanted to let our tree wither until it killed the roots and there was no going back.

He even tried to cancel the trip, said he had too many projects at work, but the hotel said our deposit was nonrefundable, so he conceded.

Maybe this trip would be a turning point for us. Maybe the sunshine and the warm beaches and the fancy dinners over candlelight would light a spark for a fire that had died in the depth of winter. Bring strength back to our broken bones and blood back to our hearts.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >86

Advertisement The Savage (Roman Republic #2) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/the-savage-roman-republic-2-read-online-penelope-sky Wed, 13 May 2026 18:58:13 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/the-savage-roman-republic-2-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Dark, Mafia, Suspense Authors: Penelope Sky Series: Roman Republic Series by Penelope Sky
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Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >82

In an electrifying return to the dark world of Roman Republic, a ruthless emperor contends with an enemy within, whose connection to his family’s past pushes him—and his heart—to new limits.
The city of Taormina calls to me—but Constantine possesses me, body and soul. Not just because of those chiseled abs and glorious tattoos my photographer’s eye can’t help but admire. Or the man’s utter devotion to his dog. But because he always stands up for me.
He saved my life once. And he’d do it again.
His ruthless brand of justice inspires terror on the streets of Rome. But in his arms, I shiver for a different reason. So when he asks me to move in after just six weeks, I’m ecstatic.
And conflicted.
I worry I’m a distraction. An obstacle to his duties as emperor. And when his nemesis, the Skull King—that merciless bastard who killed Constantine’s twin—reappears, I fear I’m right.
Whatever went down between them, Constantine loved his brother with all his heart. Now he has a choice to make: avenge his brother’s death and protect Rome…or save me again

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue I

Constantine

Bright and early in the morning, I worked in the kitchen of Rosticceria Da Cristina and prepared the dough for the pizzas and the fillings for the arancini. The pizza dough took the longest, requiring adequate time for the yeast to activate and for the dough to rise at the right temperature. I turned on the music from the sound system, cranking it up because I was the only one in there, singing along to the parts I liked because there was no one there to judge me.

Then I saw my mother through the window. She used her key to unlock the door, but when there was no resistance, she realized I’d left it open and she walked inside. “What did I tell you about locking the door, Con?” she shouted over the music.

“What do you think’s gonna happen? Someone is gonna jack our pizza?”

“Why is this so loud?” She marched to the sound system and aggressively pushed the buttons until the music abruptly ended. “Jesus Christ, it’s seven in the morning.”

I rolled my eyes and got back to work.

“Roll your eyes at me again, and I’ll smack them out of your head.”

I smirked as I rolled the dough in the flour. “Sorry, Ma.”

She gave me a gentle smack on the ass before she headed into the office. She did the books while I continued to prepare the store to open. I turned the music back on, keeping it at a reasonable level so she wouldn’t yell at me again.

A couple hours later, she joined me in the kitchen. “Everything ready to go?”

“Like always, Ma.” Working at the family business wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it’d been in our family for generations and we were all proud of it. The restaurant had become a famous tourist spot for everyone who visited Taormina. Sometimes I wondered what life would be like if I left the island and made my own way on the mainland, but I had too much to leave behind. My family was everything to me, and if I ever decided to move, my mother would be devastated. She smacked me a lot, but I knew she did it out of love.

She rubbed my arm before she gave me a gentle pat. “That’s my boy.”

“Your boy has been a man a long time.”

“Yes, I’m reminded every time I stand next to you.” She glanced up at me, a foot and a half shorter than me. “So how are you? How are things with Issy?”

“Good,” I said with a smile. “We were at the beach yesterday.”

“She’s a nice girl, Con.”

“I know.”

“And nice girls don’t wait around forever . . .” She shot me a look before she started to place the trays of arancini and pizzas inside the glass-covered display case where the customers could choose what they wanted.

“I know they don’t. Which is why I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

“Wait too long and all the good ones will be taken, Con.” She clearly hadn’t heard what I said, obviously drowning in her anxiety that I wouldn’t marry and have two kids before I turned twenty-five. “They will have another man’s babies, and you’ll be sorry.”

“Ma?”

“Hmm?” She finished loading the last tray into the glass case, then shut the door. She came back to me, dusting her palms from the flour that was always sprinkled throughout the place.

“I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

She blinked once, and then her face hardened like she didn’t understand. Her hands flew to her mouth as she silenced a gasp she didn’t realize she’d made. “Con, do not mess with me right now. I’m not in the mood for one of your jokes—”

“I would never joke about that, Ma.”

“So, you’re serious?”

“Yes.”

She smacked both of her hands onto the counter, probably hard enough that it hurt, but she then threw her arms in the air and hopped up and down, moving with an enthusiasm she hadn’t shown in . . . forever. “Oh my god, my boy is getting married. I can’t believe this. I just . . . I have to talk to your aunt Chiara. She’s going to be so excited—”

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >82

Advertisement The Emperor (Fifth Republic Series #4) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/the-emperor-fifth-republic-series-4-read-online-penelope-sky Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:28:43 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/the-emperor-fifth-republic-series-4-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male Authors: Penelope Sky Series: Fifth Republic Series Series by Penelope Sky
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Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >82

Before the foundation of the Fifth Republic, my father crossed his business partner, and the consequences of that were dire.
The execution of my entire family…except me.
I’ve been on the run from The Oath, assassins that vow to finish every contract they receive. Every few years they find me again, and then I’m on the run once more. I’m working as a sommelier at Septime in Paris when they find me again, and they try to ambush me after work late one night.
I run for the street and hop into the first car I find. “Drive!” To my surprise, he asks no questions and speeds away through the streets of Paris and shakes them off my tail. He tells me his name.
Luca Fournier.
I have nowhere to go, so he lets me stay with him for protection…for a price.
Me.
I quickly learn that the man I’m bedding is one of the French Emperors, a secret society that’s part of the senate, and it’s his job to separate the criminals from the innocents. I could have jumped into any car, but I jumped into his.
Is it luck?
Or is it fate?

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

ALIÉNOR

It was midnight when I finished my shift as a sommelier at Septime. The bottles were wiped down and returned to the case, and the wine glasses were dried by hand before being hung on the rack. It was a small restaurant with only a handful of tables, but the cramped atmosphere added to the charm.

I put on my long black coat and threw the rose-colored scarf around my neck before I stepped into the cold. The restaurant was on a narrow one-way street, and most of the other businesses were already closed. There were normally pedestrians on the sidewalks at all hours of the night, but it was quiet in the city in late winter. Spring was in the distance, close enough to see but not close enough to touch.

I headed down the street toward my apartment, my heels making a distinct tap against the cold stone of the sidewalk. With my bag drawn close, I glanced at my phone to check the time before I stowed it in my pocket once again.

My chin lifted, and I noticed a man across the street, smoking a cigar, dressed in all black with a black beanie, looking at me like he knew who I was.

I quickly looked ahead and pretended I hadn’t noticed his silent aggression.

I walked everywhere in Paris. Taxis and ride-hailing services were way too expensive for a bottom-feeder like me. I was a sommelier because I’d grown up privileged—but that was a long time ago.

I’d been poor so long I forgot what it was like to be rich.

Another set of footsteps accompanied mine, and I knew he was following me. I noticed the way the sound changed when he left the sidewalk and stepped onto the cobblestones. His legs were so much longer than mine, his stride would quickly catch up to me.

“Shit,” I said under my breath.

I kept my head down, kept a low profile, did everything I could to be a nobody.

But he’d kept his word and sought me out—even years later. Hell-bent on revenge that shouldn’t be my debt to pay, determined to add my head to one of the spikes outside his castle, desperate to fill his glass with the last drops of my family’s blood.

I finally reached the end of the narrow street, the sidewalk opening to other shops under the lampposts, all closed early in the off-season. A couple cars passed on the street, but it was mostly empty.

There was only a single car, a blacked-out Range Rover with midnight-black rims and blacked-out tinted windows. A muscular man stepped away from one of the shops and headed toward the Range Rover. The side-view mirrors immediately popped open at his approach like it was his vehicle, and he hit the button on the key fob before he came into my sight.

I didn’t have time to think.

Just before he opened the driver’s door, I sprinted down the stone pathway next to the trees and the park bench, aware that my assailant was in pursuit even though I couldn’t hear his boots in my hustle.

I threw open the passenger door and jumped inside. “Fucking drive!” I slammed the passenger door shut and hit the lock button—like that would stop a bullet from shattering the window. I turned to the driver and expected to have to yell or explain, but he hit the gas and took off down the empty road, his powerful engine making us accelerate with the speed of the wind.

I turned back to stare at the man who had pursued me and then heard shots fired, hitting the back window of the Range Rover. Two little cracks appeared in the glass, but it somehow didn’t break. “Fuck.” I faced forward again and glanced at the driver.

He was calm, almost indifferent.

The light at the intersection was red, but he turned left on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine like it was just a normal day. He dropped his speed, like he believed the gunman would never be able to track us on foot.

Once the immediate danger had passed, I looked at the driver of my getaway car.

Dark hair and dark eyes, his muscular arms stretching the sleeves of his long-sleeved shirt, he was the definition of calm and collected. An Omega watch was on his wrist, the kind worth over one hundred thousand euros, and the only reason I knew that was because my father used to have one very similar. A shadow was along his jawline, like he had to shave every morning to keep a clean look, but the darkness was back by midnight.

One hand remained on the wheel while he relaxed in the seat, eyes on the road. “Where to?”

In shock, I stared for a solid three seconds. “That’s it? No questions?”

“Your business is your business.”

“You aren’t going to demand that I pay for your back window?”

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >82

Advertisement The Saint (Fifth Republic Series #3) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/the-saint-fifth-republic-series-3-read-online-penelope-sky Thu, 17 Apr 2025 13:13:12 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/the-saint-fifth-republic-series-3-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Erotic, Mafia Authors: Penelope Sky Series: Fifth Republic Series Series by Penelope Sky
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Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >80

I drowned to death. I held my breath as long as I could, but then my lungs sucked in water hoping it was air, and it was a painful and brutal ending, an internal drowning, my heart beating so hard desperate for oxygen...until it just stopped. I could never forget it...even if I wanted to.

Bastien assumes our relationship is over. That I'll run for the hills and wash my hands clean of the most dangerous man in Paris. But I'm not going anywhere. Not now. Not ever. I ran before, but not anymore. I can tell it means the world to him.

But the dangers haven't passed. The Aristocrats want blood for their leader's execution. Bastien and his brother are still sworn enemies, and the gangs are beginning to riot against the Fifth Republic. It's the most dangerous time to be a French Emperor.

Bastien tells me all this...but I still won't leave.

I believe Bastien will keep me safe from all the monsters that lurk under the streets of Paris...until he doesn't. Until I'm captured by his enemies and taken from the City of Light. I know Bastien will come for me. I know Bastien will kill every single one of them for taking me.

But will I be dead by the time he gets here...like last time?

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

FLEUR

I sat on the couch in front of the TV, the news showing the charred body that hung from Notre-Dame. Sunrise had hit the city and I’d been up nearly all night, but I felt no fatigue, not when the adrenaline was still pumping away. Until Bastien walked in that door, I would be on alert.

I was in his t-shirt and his boxers because I had nothing else to wear. I wasn’t in the mood to blow-dry my hair, but after being locked in a wet coffin, I needed to be bone-dry. A blanket was draped over my shoulders and snug around my body because I was still cold, despite the hot shower and the steam that fogged the glass in the bathroom.

Gerard had left food and water for me, and I’d drunk all the water but ignored the food because I had no appetite.

I guess dying was an appetite suppressant.

The last thing I wanted to be was alone right now, forced to think about everything that had happened over and over. Anytime I visualized that coffin, tears welled in my eyes. I still felt the sting of the splinters that had impaled my fingertips. I still felt the cold rainwater against my skin. It had been so dark in that coffin that I’d only known where the water was by touch.

And I remembered how it felt to drown…quite vividly.

I’d held my breath as long as I could and pounded on the coffin lid even though it was hopeless. I’d wanted to die while fighting rather than die while submitting. But then my lungs took over and forced me to gasp—and that was when all the water flooded in.

It was painful…so fucking painful.

And to spend the last few seconds of your life knowing you were going to die was the worst part. To wait for it to end, to want to rush it just to make it stop, to be in complete darkness while it happened.

I didn’t feel my tears until they reached my lips. My eyes were glued to the TV, seeing the same clip they showed over and over, the body ablaze, because someone had caught it on camera from their apartment window.

That was the man who had ordered my death.

Good riddance.

I heard footsteps approach, and I turned to the door, knowing Bastien was finally home now that the deed was done. I already felt the relief before he walked in, felt the peace that only he could give.

The door opened, but it wasn’t just him. Adrien was with him.

Bastien was still coated in filth and mud because he hadn’t changed since pulling me out of that coffin. It was even on his face and neck, dried in place. He glanced at the TV to see the news before he looked at me again.

My eyes were on Adrien.

All that relief, all that peace…just evaporated.

Adrien stilled at the sight of me, hesitating at the ferocity that must have been in my gaze.

I released the blanket and got to my feet, wearing clothes that were far too big for me, and I walked up to him, seeing him tremble slightly at my approach. His eyes remained locked on mine but were packed with fear. So many things I wanted to say, so many things I wanted to do. I nearly asked for Bastien’s gun so I could shoot Adrien in the arm. But he wasn’t worth the emotional investment. “I wish I’d never met you.” I wished I could take back those years, take back my vows, take back my heart.

He flinched like I’d punched him, like those simple words were sharper than a dagger. “They were going to come for you, no matter what I did, Fleur. I saved you. I called Bastien and saved you⁠—”

“Bastien saved me.”

“Because I called him⁠—”

“All of that could have been avoided if you’d just told them that Bastien and I are together. That’s all you had to fucking say, and they would have let me go.” My eyes burned with furious tears. “I died, Adrien. Fucking drowned in mud.”

He clenched his eyes closed to shut out the pain of my words. “I know⁠—”

“You don’t know. You don’t know what it’s like to fucking die.”

He opened his eyes again, soaking wet with tears that were sincere. “I was so scared, Fleur. You have no idea.”

“No, you have no idea how scared I was. Trapped in the dark with a fucking camera in my face. The cold water inching closer to my mouth, and every move you make just sucks up the oxygen and makes the water pour in more.”

He closed his eyes again, like he couldn’t bear it. “It all happened so fast. I knew Oscar and Bastien did business together, so I assumed he would honor the code. I never imagined my beef with him would come anywhere near you. If I’d known that, I would have caved to him immediately. I would never risk the person I love most⁠—”

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Advertisement The Carver (Fifth Republic Series #2) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/the-carver-fifth-republic-series-2-read-online-penelope-sky Mon, 10 Mar 2025 19:25:15 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/the-carver-fifth-republic-series-2-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Contemporary, Crime, Dark, Erotic, Mafia, Suspense Authors: Penelope Sky Series: Fifth Republic Series Series by Penelope Sky
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Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >77

I'm fully in this with Bastien now. The kingpin of all kingpins, a man who oversees all the gangs of Paris, President Martin's right-hand man. If I were smart, I would leave, but I'm pretty sure I'm already in love with this man...

Adrien continues to challenge my divorce until Bastien gets involved. And like always, that man fixes all my problems.

But little do I know, the Aristocrats are out for Adrien. My ex continues to ignore the warnings that Bastien gives, only giving them out of a courtesy to me. It's not my problem, and if Adrien wants to get himself killed, that's his prerogative.

It quickly becomes my problem when the Aristocrats target me instead of Adrien, because technically, we are still married. And I'm still the woman Adrien loves. I find myself in a world of trouble and the only person who can save me is The Butcher, a French Emperor, leader of the Fifth Republic.

The man that will kill anyone and everyone for me

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Fleur

I arrived at the courthouse on Monday morning. It was overcast, with rain coming and going in waves. With a heavy heart, I walked up the stairs and entered the building to begin my divorce trial. I wore one of the outfits I’d bought for work, a black pencil skirt with a dark blue blouse tucked into the waistband.

My marriage had been over before the paperwork was filed and I’d moved on with a man way out of my league, but it still made me somber to divorce a man I’d thought I would be buried next to, someone I’d known for years but who turned out to be a stranger.

I walked down the hallway to find the room where I would meet with Adrien and the judge, but I was stopped by a man in a gray suit, glasses, and a briefcase.

“Fleur?”

“Yes,” I said. “How can I help you?”

“I’m Antony.” He shook my hand. “I’m your attorney.”

“Oh…I didn’t ask for an attorney.” I didn’t think it would be necessary for a simple divorce case. I didn’t want Adrien’s money, so there was nothing to contest. It would be the smoothest divorce trial ever recorded.

“Bastien Dupont asked me to take your case.”

I’d told him my trial was today, but I didn’t share any details, like the fact that I didn’t have an attorney. That meant he was one step ahead of me, looking out for me when I didn’t ask him to. “I—I don’t think that’s necessary⁠—”

“He’s already paid my fee.”

“Oh.”

He moved to the door and opened it. “Shall we?”

I looked in the open door and saw the back of Adrien’s head. He had a man next to him, so I assumed that was his own lawyer. The judge sat at a table that faced Adrien and the empty table beside it—where I would sit with Antony.

I was about to be divorced, and I wasn’t even thirty.

Fucking fool.

I held my head high as I walked into the room, not looking at Adrien as I took my seat and crossed my legs. All I had was my purse with me because I didn’t know what else to bring. I didn’t have a list of things that I wanted, didn’t have receipts for anything, didn’t have any photographic evidence to use against him to get a bigger sum.

Antony took his seat beside me. “I’ll be representing Fleur Laurent for this case.”

I felt Adrien stare at the side of my face, felt him look in the hope I would look back.

I ignored him.

“Alright.” Judge Alberto got straight to the point. “Let’s begin.”

Antony started. “Because the marriage ended due to Mr. Laurent’s multiple infidelities, Fleur is asking for half of the communal property they’ve earned throughout their marriage⁠—”

“Whoa, I did not say that.” I looked at my lawyer. “I don’t want anything.”

“You’re entitled to it⁠—”

“I don’t want it.”

Antony continued to look at me, like Bastien had given him instructions that were to be followed.

“Perhaps you should speak to your client in private,” Judge Albert said. “Take a recess⁠—”

I looked back at the judge. “I don’t want anything—except my clothes and personal belongings that are still at the house. I married him because I loved him, and his punishment is to know he betrayed the only woman who actually loved him for himself. I don’t care about his money—and I’ll prove it.”

Antony released a frustrated sigh, as if he knew he was going to get an earful from Bastien when this was over.

Judge Alberto turned to Adrien and his lawyer. “If you agree to these terms, the matter is settled.”

There was a long pause. The lawyer stared at his client.

Adrien stared at the table, looked like he was about to be sick. “She takes half of the estate.”

“What?” I asked incredulously.

Adrien wouldn’t look at me. “I contest your demands. Take half of the estate.”

“What the fuck are you doing?” I looked directly at him now, unsure what was happening. “I said I don’t want your money.”

“I know you don’t,” he said quietly. “But I want you to have it.”

“Well, I don’t want it.”

The judge folded his hands and gave a sigh. “I’ve been in law for nearly forty years, and not once have I seen a marriage that ended through infidelity unfold this way—with the wife not wanting his money, while the husband wants to give it. In my personal opinion, there is still love here, so perhaps this marriage should be given another chance…”

“No.” Out of the fucking question.

Adrien gave a sigh.

“I won’t take his money.” I said it again, put my foot down.

The judge looked at Adrien.

“I don’t accept her terms,” he said quietly.

The judge closed his folder and brought his hands together. “Then we’ll schedule another meeting three weeks from now. Perhaps at that time, you can decide how you want these assets to be divided. This meeting is adjourned.”

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Advertisement The Butcher (Fifth Republic Series #1) Read Online Penelope Sky http://www.books2020.com/the-butcher-fifth-republic-series-1-read-online-penelope-sky Sun, 02 Feb 2025 19:15:52 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/the-butcher-fifth-republic-series-1-read-online-penelope-sky Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Contemporary, Crime, Dark, Mafia, Suspense Authors: Penelope Sky Series: Fifth Republic Series Series by Penelope Sky
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 68688 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >73

I found out my husband of three years had cheated on me and his mistress is the one who told me—because he didn’t have the balls to do it himself.

I move out and get a new apartment, a job as a bartender, and try to move on with a broken heart. I wonder where it all went wrong, if I hadn’t been enough for him, if I’d been stupid for marrying him in the first place.

I’m at work one night when he walks inside—the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. He sits at the bar and a forest fire burns between us. I was depressed the moment before he entered, but the second I look at his blue eyes, I forget the dumpster fire that my life has become. I invite him back to my place and it’s the most passionate night of my life. I expect to never see him again.

I just want him as an anti-depressant—but he wants me all to himself. I just got my heart ripped out of my chest so I want something easy and no-strings-attached, but he wants all the strings because he’s hooked.

I don’t get much of a say in the matter, and that’s not surprising when I learn why—because he’s the Butcher. The crime lord of all crime lords, the boss that overshadows all of Paris, that makes everyone abide by his rules—or pay.

And now I’m his.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter 1

Fleur

I entered the building, walked up the five flights of stairs because the elevator had been busted since I moved in, and then got my key in the lock. The door opened, and I entered my small apartment, the one-bedroom flat with a kitchen that also served as a laundry room. I flicked on the light switch and then gave a small jump at the sight of the man sitting in the armchair like a goddamn gargoyle. “Jesus…” I gave my keys a squeeze before I tossed them on the table and set my purse down. “I told you to stop doing that.”

He continued to sit there with his elbows on his knees, his shoulders broad in his jacket, his eyes down on his fingers as he gripped his phone. It took him a moment to lift his chin and look at me, his hazelnut eyes full of self-loathing. “If you don’t want me here, then pick up your fucking phone.”

“I don’t have to do anything, Adrien.” It was nearly two in the morning, but the City of Lights still had people on every corner, riding their bikes to the opposite side of town or smoking in the cafés downstairs. Au Pied de Cochon was right near my apartment, one of the few restaurants in Paris that basically never locked their doors or turned off their lights because it was open almost twenty-four hours. I’d eaten there a couple times after my shift, but mostly just to wind down with a cigarette.

He rose to his feet, in dark jeans and a leather jacket, raindrops visible on the material like it had sprinkled on him during his walk from the car. He left the green armchair and came close to where I stood by the round dining table, which held a vase full of flowers that I’d grabbed from the market yesterday. “I found a marriage counselor⁠—”

“I don’t want to go to counseling,” I snapped. “I want a divorce.” I’d asked for a divorce the moment I’d discovered his infidelity, a treason he didn’t even have the balls to tell me himself. But he’d made that request impossible to grant. Made me jump through endless hoops, just to get rejected by the court—because he’d paid everyone off.

“We’re Catholic. We don’t believe in divorce⁠—”

“So you fucked around under the assumption I would never leave?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“I don’t want to make this marriage work. I’m a fine piece of ass who doesn’t need this shit. I want a man who keeps his word and is so brutally honest that it’s almost cruel. You are not that man, Adrien.”

The anger flickered across his face, but he tightened the reins on his rage. “I made a mistake. I told you it wasn’t an affair. She meant nothing to me.”

“But she was worth your marriage?”

His nostrils flared, but he still didn’t yell like he normally would. “There was a lot of shit going on at work and I had too much wine to drink, and she came on to me. I had a moment of weakness. I’m fucking human.”

I rolled my eyes. “More like a Neanderthal.”

His desperate eyes were locked on mine. “I said I was sorry about a million times.”

“I don’t want an apology. I want a divorce. I want you to stop popping up in my apartment like you still own me.”

“You’re still my wife⁠—”

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >73